Improvement in water-wheels



2`Sheets--S`heet 2.

B; sT'ETsuN. Water-Wheels.`

Patented August 12, 1873..

' mymesse;

MWJ r' UNITED STATES ATENE OFFICE.

BRADFORD STETSON, OF FITGHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT iN WATER-WHEELS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent N0. HILSQG, dated August l2,1873; application filed February 7, 1873. v

` To all whom it may concern:

. connection with the drawings which accompany and form part of thisspecification, is a description of my invention sufficient to enablethose skilled in the art to practice it.

The invention relates to details of construction of that class ofWater-wheels in which, the

wheel being horizontal, the water enters its peripheral buckets from theoutside, and discharges at the center, the water entering through asuitable encompassing-curb, and its entrance being governed by anannularand adjustable gate. f

The spindle-foot of the wheel is supported at bottom and rotates upon asuitable step; and one part of my invention consists in supplying tothis step water under pressure, so that the spindle in effect turns upona thin hlm of water constantly supplied to it. I also combine with suchprovision for lubrication of the step a lterin g mechanism, by means ofwhich only clear water can reach the step, and this mechanism I so applythat either automaticallyor by hand at certain intervals, the directionof the current of water may be changed so that the ltering medium willbe freed from all accumulations of foreign matter.

The application of the iilter and the provision for cleansing thefiltering medium constitute portions of the invention.

When the wheel is running the water creeps through and fills the spaceover the wheel or between the top of the wheel and the plate just aboveit, and as there is generally no escape for it the pressure of thiswater is of course downward upon the top of the wheel. To provide Aforescape of the water and thereby relieve the wheel from its pressure,(which pressure of course forces the foot of the wheelspindle down uponits step,) I run one or more pipes through the top of the curb-plate,and extend the outer end of said pipe through the wheel-case. Thepressure upon the wate c, of course, forces it through this pipe, whichthereby constitutes a pressure relief.

This provision constitutes another feature of my invention.

To incase the wheel I apply the curb to a Y circular dat plate or ringmounted on pillars extending up from a base-plate, (the step being madeadjustable centrally within the basering for reception of the spndle,)and upon this ring to which the curb is fixed I mount a hemisphericaldome,which is cast with the spout or conductor for introducing the waterto the wheel, with a neck for receiving the bearing for thewheel-spindle, and another neck for receiving the spindle that operatesthe gate, this dome having a cylindrical base or lower part, at thebottom of which is a iian ge that fits upon and is bolted to the flangeof the plate that holds the curb. This dome covers and protects all ofthe mechanism, affords the proper height for the bearing of thewheel-spindle, and enables all the mechanism to be inspected .by itsremoval, or set up before it is applied to cover the mechanism, it alsofurnishing in one piece a perfectly tight and strong cover and protectorto the wheel mechanism. l

The hemispherical dome thus formed and applied constitutes another.feature of my'in.

vention.

The drawing represents a machine embodying my improvements.

Figure lis a sectional elevation, showing, i particular, the steplubricating and filtering mechanism. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation,showing the 'relief-pipe, 8vo.

d denotes the stationary base or frame having pillars b, upon the top ofwhich is the ring c, to uvhich the iiange cl of the stationary curb e isfastened, the parts a b c being formed as one casting or frame, and thecurb being iiXed upon and with relation to the same. Within this frameis the step f fixed in the neck g of an adjustable step support orplate, h, which plate is sct to center and plumb the step by verticaladjusting or set screws i and horizontal adjusting or set screws 1c. Thecylindrical curb-ring e, the wheel m, and the rotating Water-controllinggate n are relatively arranged to operate as in other wheels of minebefore patented, and need not be particularly described. Thespindle-foot o is formed with a concave bottom'resting upon and llttingto the convex top surface of the sepf.V In the support h is a chamber,p, into which a pipe, q, enters, and from which ex tends a verticalpassage, r, which passage leads centrally through the step f to the topor bearing surface thereof. The pipe q leads to the chamber p from avertical pipe, j, and the pipe j extends directly or indirectly from theentering-spout s, from which spout water is taken by the pipe j, andconveyed through it andthe pipe q, chamber 12, and passage r to the topof the step f, the water being thusV conveyed under a head or pressure,and affording a constant supply of water to keep the step lubricated.

Instead of thus supplying water oil may be supplied in precisely thesame manner, but for ordinary purposes the water is a perfect lubricant.

It is, however, generally advisable, and often absolutely necessary, tocleanse or filter the water in order to prevent passage of foreign andgritty matters to the step, which matters would soon destroy or injurethe surfaces in contact. To preserve the step from such injury, Iinterpose between the conductor and the step a filtering mechanism,which, by preference, I construct and arrange as follows: d2 denotes acylinder, containing a disk, t, lled with perforatrons a, and fixed tothe bottom of a loose spindle, o, said disk fitting the cylinder, andbeing covered by a disk of felt, or other fibrous material, fw. Overthese disks is another disk, w2, on the foot of a tubular stem, x, intowhich the spindle v extends, and this disk w2 is also filled withperforations, and is also covered by one or more iibrous disks, z, and,preferably, by a perforated metal disk on top of the disks z.

When the wheel is running the filteringdisks are pushed to the bottom ofthe cylinder, and water enters the cylinder from the conductor through apassage, a2, located above the disks, the water being iiltered throughand by the disks, and so that only the cleansed water passes downthrough the case into the pipe j, leading from its lower end. Thetubular spindle x extends through the screw-cap b2 of the cylinder, andis made with a series of Y perforations, y, leading through the spindleinto the space surrounding the spindle c. When the iiltcr is to be freedfrom foreign matters lodged upon the filtering-disks, the tubular stemrv is drawn up, so as to carry the disk w above the inlet a2. When thusraised part of .the perforations y will be within the cylinder, and partof them above it, and the upward pressure of the water will dislodge theforeign substances above the disks and expel them through theperforations.

Previous to raising the tubular stem the downward low of the water is ormay be arrested by a stop-cock, f2, but the lower ilter ing-disk t willprevent any foreign substances from passing into the pipe.

A mechanism may be arranged to be actuated from the shaft or spindle g2of the wheel to intermittently and automatically raise and let fall thefiltering-disks.

For change or replacement of the disks w z the cap b2 may be removed,the spindles bcing then readily Withdrawn from the cylinder.

Between the top plate h2 of the wheel and the bottom ,y of the top platei2 of t-he curb is the space k2, pressure of water in which tends topress down the wheel. To remedy this I lead from this space a pipe, Z2,which, for compactness and convenience, I turn and carry down throughthe plate e to discharge the water, the water under pressure finding anescape through this pipe, which thus becomes a relief-pipe to withdrawall downward pressure from the wheel, enabling it to run upon the stepfi, or the lm of water upon the step without pressure other than thatexerted by its weight. The ring or plate is made with a iiange, m2, andshoulder n2, and upon this iiange and against the shoulder rests theflange o2 of the hemispherical dome p2, this dome being a castingcovering the mechanism, as shown iu the drawing, and having theconductor s leading into the dome-chamber, and thus to the wheel, theneck r2 for receiving the bearing s2 of the spindle g2, and the neck t2for receiving the bearing a2 of the spindle c2, which carries thegear-pinion rc2, that, by a suitable gearing-connection, operates thecylindrical gate u, the dome making the most desirable form for all ofthese purposes, and for ready access to the wheel mechanism by raisingit from position, it being fastened in position by screw-bolts :r2 andnuts y2, which are readily applied or removed.

The passage r, that leads to the top of the step, may communicate with apassage, z2, in the spindle-foot o, this passage z2 extending to achamber, c2, which, being kept charged with water, will always tend tokeep the step from heating.

I claiml. A waterwheel having, in combination with the pipe j, thelter-cylinder d2, substantially as described.

2. A water-wheel having, in. combination with the step f and the centralpassage r, the passage z2 leading to the chamber c2, substand tially asshown and described.

3. In combination with the wheel m and space k2 above it, therelief-pipe Z2, operating substantially as described.

4. In combination with the curb-supporting rin g or plate, thehemispherical dome 192, form ed and applied substantially as shown andde scribed.

BRADFORD STETSON.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS GoULD, M. W. FROTHINGHAM.

